What happened
On 18 March 2022, a Rotorsport UK Calidus gyroplane, registration G-TGLG, was conducting a training flight at Shobdon Airfield in Herefordshire. The flight, involving a student pilot and an instructor, was intended to practice landing techniques following several successful circuits.
After completing four circuits, the crew landed and prepared for a subsequent takeoff. As the aircraft accelerated along the runway, the instructor noticed that the rotor speed was not increasing because the student had allowed the control stick to move too far forward. The instructor commanded the student to abort the takeoff by reducing power and pushing the stick forward. However, the student instead simultaneously pulled the throttle and the stick back. This action caused the gyroplane to pitch up abruptly and roll to the left. The aircraft fell onto its side and slid along the runway.
One crew member sustained one serious injury (a broken bone in the back), while the other remained uninjured. The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, rotor blades, left vertical stabilizer, wheels, and the left side of the fuselage pod.
The investigation
The AAIB examined the actions of both occupants and the cockpit configuration. The instructor noted that while he was holding the controls loosely to allow the student to learn, he was unable to prevent the rapid rearward movement of the stick. The instructor also highlighted that the canopy shape prevented him from seeing the instruments in the front cockpit, meaning he could not monitor the rotor speed directly.
The student pilot reported that he had failed to perform his standard verbal checks, such as confirming the stick was centered, because he had not mentally transitioned from the landing phase to the takeoff phase. He also noted that fatigue, caused by a long delay on the ground and the physical exertion of the flight, likely contributed to this lapse in procedure.